Signaling apparatus



(No Model) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

A. P. SMITH.

SIGNALING APPARATUS- No. 565,933. Patented Aug. 18, 1896.

(No Model.) A I 2 sheets-s eet 2.

,A. P. SMITH.

SIGNALING APPARATUS. No. 665,933. Patented Aug. 18, 1896.

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UNIT D STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ARTHUR P. SMITH, or SPRINGFIELD, MASSACHUSETTS.

SIGNALING APPARATUS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 565,933, dated August is, 1896.

Application filed March 10, 1896- system and apparatus by which it may be clearly indicated at certain predetermined points (these being ordinarily at turnouts) whether a certain section of the track is open or not, and to indicate also the direction in which a car has entered upon such section.

My object is further to provide a simple accurately-operating system and apparatus employing but one main conducting-Wire.

My invention consists in the construction and arrangement herein set out.

In the accompanying drawings, in which like letters of reference indicate like parts,

Figure 1 is a side elevation illustrating one of the simplest forms of apparatus devised by me by which the desired circuits are made and broken by the passage of the car; Fig.

2 is a sectional end view taken on line 00 m of Fig. 1, supporting the apparatus. Fig. 3 illustrates a modification in the construction of a part of the operative mechanism, and Fig. 4 is a diagrammatical view (distorted in scale) .adapted to illustrate the operation in practinets; 4, conducting-wire; 5, colored signal light; 6, conductor; 7 and 8, mechanical signals; 9 and 10, conductors; 11, white signallights; 12, conductors; 13, contact-spring; 14, contact-post; 15, conducting-wire; 16, lever; 17, insulating-block; 18, pin or shoulder; 19, pivotal screw; 20 and 21, bell-crank lever; 22, armature; 23, insulating-piece; 24c, pivotal screw; 25, bell-crank-lever spring; 26, pendent-lever spring; 27, supporting-piece 28 and .29, hanger; 30, trolley-wire, and 31 insulatin g-covering. 7

Serial No. 582,546. (No model.)

The operative mechanism is mounted in a shell or case a, which is preferably closed upon all sides to protect the parts from the weather and is suitably supported and constantly in electrical connection with the trolley-wire, preferably by being mounted upon a supportin g-frame 27, which frame is soldered or otherwise permanently secured to the trolley-wire.

Suitable hangers 28 and 29 are also provided if found necessary to support the apparatus and relieve the trolley-wire from the weight of the same.

' Electromagnets 3 of the common wellknown type are suitably mounted, and arranged adjacent to the cores of these magnets is a bell-crank lever 20 21, provided with an armature 22, mounted upon the arm 21, so that when-the bell-crank lever is turned upon its pivot in a direction to carry the arm 21 toward the cores of the electromagnets the armature 22 will lie close against the ends of the cores, and if while in such position the electromagnets are energized the armature will be held in that position, thus holding the bell-crank lever and other parts operated by the bell-crank lever in fixed position until the current passing through the electromagnets is broken, thus allowing the bell-crank lever to be returned to its normal position by r the operation of a spring. A spring 1 is mounted upon the boX or frame with its free end projecting toward one of the electromagnets and in the track of the end of the arm 21 of the bell-crank lever, so that a movement of the bell-crank lever upon its pivot in one direction will throw the spring 1 upwardly and bring its free end against the contact-plate 2, which plate is insulated from, the case but is electrically connected with the electromagnets, so that if the spring 1 be carried upwardly or against the contact-plate 2 an electrical connect-ion will be established from the trolley-wire through the medium of the frame 27 ,the case a,the spring 1,the contact-plate 2, the electromagnets 3, and the conductingwire 4. This connection will be made by the passage of the car in one direction through the operation of the depending lever 16, against which the trolley-wheel operates.

The lever 16 is pivotally mounted in the case upon a stud 19 and a block 32, which block is either attached to the lever 16 or arranged to be moved with it, and upon this block is a pin or shoulder 18, which engages the arm 20 of the bell-crank lever when the lever 16 is moved toward the electromagnets, thus causing the bell-crank lever to move as before described.

Mounted upon the part 32 or directly upon the lever 16 is an insulated piece 17, which, when the lever 16 is moved in a direction away from the electromagnets, comes in contact with and raises the spring 13 away from the contact-piece 14. An insulating-block 23 (see Fig. 1) is also mounted upon the long arm 21 of the bell-crank lever, so as to project in the path of the spring 13 and raise the spring out of contact,as before,and maintains it out of contact with 1 1 so long as the armature is in contact with the magnet-cores, so that in whichever direction the car may pass and operate through the trolley-wheel upon the lever 16 the spring 13 is raised and the current passing through it is broken. A spring 26 is connected at one end with the lever 16 and the other fixed in position, returns the lever 16, after the passage of the trolley-wheel, to its normal position, so that after the bell-crank lever has been turned upon its pivot to carry the armature toward the cores of the electromagnets the lever 16 returns,as before stated, to its normal position and leaves the path of the bell-crank lever unobstructed to return to its normal position when the electric current ceases to operate, through the magnets, upon the armature.

The conducting-wire 4: passes through the case and is insulated therefrom and is electrically connected with the coils of the electromagnets, and to prevent danger of a short circuit between the conducting-wire 4t and the case, which might be caused by the accumulation of ice at this point, I cover the same at the point of juncture with a sheath of insulating-covering 31.

The conducting-wire 12 is electrically connected with the spring 13 through the medium of a suitable binding-post 33, which post is insulated from the case.

It will thus be seen that normally the conducting-wires 12 and 15 are in electrical connection through the medium of the binding posts or plates 14 and 33 and the intermediate spring 13, and that this electrical connection is broken by the passage of the car in either direction, and that the passage of the car in one direction operates to produce electrical connection between the trolleywire and the conducting-wire 4 and the other conductors to the ground, which electrical connection is broken only by the breaking of thecircuit at some predetermined point.

Various devices of course may be used as signals. I prefer to use and have therefore illustrated four incandescent lights, two having white globes and two having colored globes, and four mechanical electrically-operated signal devices for use in the daytime, which in some cases might be more clearly ductors 12.

seen than an electric light, and in Diagram4 I have illustrated the method of arranging these signals and the apparatus, each set being mounted at a turnout upona single-trackrailway system, so that a car moving in either direction will indicate through the medium of these signals to the driver of another car about to pass upon the section or block covered by the system whether the section is in use by a car and in what direction the car using the section entered upon it.

It will be observed that I have illustrated the colored lights 5 and mechanical signals 7 in electrical connection with the conductors 4: and the white lights 11 and mechanical signals 8 in electrical connection with the con- The conductor 15 is the groundwireand is grounded in the usual well-known manner. The white lights 11 and the mechanical signals 8 are in the main single-wire circuit extending from switch-box to switchboX, which at each end is grounded, as before explained.

If now for the purpose of illustration it be assumed that a car has passed the turnout at which the switch box and mechanism is located, and marked in the drawings station E, the trolley-wheel operating upon the depend ing lever 16 will have caused the bell-crank lever to turn upon its pivot, throwing the armature into position against theends of the cores of the electromagnets, and at the same time the spring 13 will have been thrown up and held open, thereby breaking the ground circuit and establishing a circuit through the trolley-wire frame 27, case a, spring 1, contact-plate 2, electromagnets 3, and conducting-wire at, thus operating the signals in the line of conductors 4 and 6 at station B and the signals in the line of conductors 10 and 12 at station A, thus operating the colored signals at station 13 and the white signals at station A, and these signals will be displayed until the current is broken.

The current is broken in the manner before stated whenever a car passes out of the block or section covered by the signals, so that the display of any signal at either station indicates that a car is upon the section, and a colored signal will indicate that the car in question entered the section from the direction of the colored signals, and a white signal will indicate that the car upon the section is approaching or moving in a direction toward the white signals, while the absence of a signal will indicate that the section is unoccupied.

The passage of a car out of the section will break the circuit, thus extinguishing the lights and releasing the signals and at the same time cutting off the current to the electromagnets, thus releasing the armature and allowing the lever upon which the armature is mounted to return to its normal position.

The extreme annoyance,inconvenience,and delay frequently caused by cars meeting upon a single track when going in opposite directions, thus rendering it necessary for one car to be returned to its starting-turnout, is avoided and the inconvenience of one car following too closely upon another going in the same direction, and the danger of collision which might result from two cars moving rapidly in opposite directions is overcome.

One advantage of my device over those heretofore used is seen in the fact that a back signal, as well as a signal ahead, is set so that the track is blocked, as before stated, in both directions, and it is indicated in which direction the car is moving upon the blocked section, and no two cars going in the same direction will follow each other upon the section unless they be one in sight of the other,

It will be seen that signals having different sounds might be used as well as signals having different visional appearances.

It will be readily seen that the operation of the device by the passage of a car from station A toward station E is the same although in reverse order to that described with reference to the passing of a car from station E toward station A. V

In Fig. 3 I have illustrated a modification wherein one arm of the bell-crank lever is done away with and the part carrying the armature is directly operated upon by the edge of the part32, (which carried the lever 16,) it being cam-shaped, so that when the lever 16 is vertical the lever 21 is free to move away from the electromagnets, and it is carried toward the electromagnets by the same cam-shaped edge of the part 32. The movable mechanism is shown also in Fig. 4, differing somewhat in shape from that shown inthe other figures. Each contains, however, the same essential parts operatin gin the same manner substantially.

Signals may of course be arranged in public places or on private grounds and the approach of a car from either direction indicated, the switch mechanism in such case being located at such distance from the signal as to indicate its approach the desired time in advance, and by arranging upon the trolley-poles of different cars pins or arms of different lengths or in different locations, so that each would operate only upon a certain switch mechanism, it may be designated what particular car is approaching, so that if cars of different lines pass over the same section of track during a part of the passage a person may determine whether the desired car is approaching or not, and, if desired, a massing of all signals may be had at the principal station or any station, and the time any car passes any switch may be indicated, so that the whereabouts of any car and the time it passes certain points may be readily determined.

The same system could of course be applied to other railways, provided an electric conductor be provided in place of the usual trolley and means be provided to operate the switch mechanism.

Having therefore described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a railway electrical signaling system, a line conductor or trolley-wire and two sets of signaling apparatus, each apparatus comprising: two signals, a contact-piece in electrical connection with one signal and a movable piece having connection with the linewire, a second movable piece connected with the other signal and a second contact-piece with which it engages, a device adapted to be actuated by the passing car and operating to close the first contacts and to separate the second contacts; together with conductors for connecting all the signals of both sets and conductors electrically connecting the said second-named stationary contacts of both the sets, substantially as and for the purposes described.

2. In a railway electrical signaling system, a line conductor or trolley-wire and two sets of signaling apparatus, each apparatus comprising: two signals, a contact-piece and electromagnet in electrical connection therewith, a movable contact-piece in connection with the line-wire, and the armature adjacent and coacting with said movable contact-piece, a second movable piece electrically connected with the other signal, and a second fixed contact-piece with which it engages, a lever.

adapted to be actuated by the passing car and operating to separate the said second contacts, and to swing the armature toward the electromagnet whereupon the latter forces the first-named movable contact against its adjacent contact-piece, together with conductors for connecting all the signals of both sets, and conductors forming electrical communication between the said second-named stationary contacts of both sets, substantially as described.

3. In a railway electrical signaling system, a trolley-wire and two sets of apparatus, each comprising two electrically controlled or operated signals dissimilar in visional aspect or in sound, a normally open circuit embracing both sets of the apparatus and comprising the trolley-wire, movable and fixed contactpieces, a conductor running from one said contact to a given signal of one set andjthence to the dissimilar signal of the other set, normally closed contacts in the latter set to one of which a conductor runs from the said dissimilar signal and from theother of which runs a grounded connection, and mechanism actuated by the passing car for closing the normally separated contact-pieces, substantially as described.

4. In a railway electrical signaling system, a trolley-wire and two sets of apparatus each comprising two unlike electrically controlled or operated signals dissimilar in sound or in visional aspect, a normally open circuit embracing both sets of the apparatus and'comprising the trolley-wire, movable and fixed contact-pieces, a conductor running from one IIO said contact to a given signal of one set and thence to the dissimilar signal of the other set, normally closed contact-pieces in the latter set to one of which a conductor runs from the said dissimilar signal and from the other of which runs a grounded connection, an electromagn et comprised in the circuit having its armature operating and acting as a detent to the first-named movable contact, and alever actuated by the passing car, operating to throw the armature toward its magnet and through the armature moving and holding closed the adjacent contact, substantially as described.

5. In a railway electrical signaling apparatus of the character described in-combination with a trolley-wire, electromechanical appliances viz: an electromagnet having a normally open armature which has connected therewith an arm or projection, 28, an adjacent fixed contact-piece connected with the electromagnet, a normally open movable contacting piece, arranged to be engaged by the armature, and which is electrically connected with the trolley-wire, a second movable and fixed contact-pieces, the movable one being so arranged as to be engaged by the said projection of the armature and an independent lever having a projection which when the lever is swinging in one direction engages and moves the armature toward the electromag- I net and means for the attachment of electrical conductors with the electromagnet, and with said second-named fixed and movable contacts, substantially as described.

6. In a railway electrical signaling apparatus of the character described in combination with a trolley-wire, electromechanical appliances, viz: an electromagnet having anormally Open armature which has connected therewith an arm or projection 23, an adjacent fixed contact-piece connecting the elec tromagnet, a normally open movable contactpiece, arranged to be engaged and moved by the armature, which is electrically connected with the trolley-wire, second movable and fixed contacting pieces, the movable one being so arranged as to be engaged by the said projection of the armature, and an independent lever having a projection which when the lever is swung in one direction engages and moves the armature toward the electromagnet and also having a projection which when the lever is moved in the opposite direction also engages and moves the said second movable contacting piece, and means for the at tachment of the electrical conductors respectively with the electromagnet and with the said second-named fixed and movable contacts, substantially as described.

7. In an electrical signaling apparatus in combination with a line or trolley wire an electromagnet, and the fixed contact 2 connected therewith, the movable contact 1 connected with said wire, a lever comprising the armature which has an operative engagement with contact; and the arm 20 and projection 23, fixed contact 14 and movable contact 13, the depending lever 16 having to move as one therewith, a shoulder, as 18, and a projection as 17, the armature-spring 25 and the leverspring 26, and suitable binding posts or screws for making wire connections respectively with the electromagnet and with the contacting pieces13 and '14:, substantially as described.

8. In an electrical signaling apparatus, a trolley-wire, and two sets of signals 5, 11, and duplicated appliances each comprising an electromagnet 3, and a pivoted lever having the armature 22 and arm 20, a fixed contact 2 connected with the magnet, and movable contact 1 connected with the trolley-wire,wire 4 connecting electromagnet with signal 5, a movable contact 13, and wire 12 connecting it with the other signal 11 fixed contact 1i and connected grounded wire, 15, and the lever adapted to be operated by the car in either direction and having a projection which when swung in one direction engages said arm 20, and a projection which when swung in the other direction opens contact 13; together with wires 6 and 10 connecting both signals of each set, and wire 9 connecting both sets of signals, substantially as described.

9. In a railway electrical signaling system a line-conductor or trolley-wire and two suitably-located sets of signaling apparatus each apparatus comprising two signals, a contactpiece and electromagnet in electrical connection therewith and also connected with one of the signals, a movable contact-piece in connection with the linewvire, the armature adapted to operate said movable contact, a second movable piece, electrically connected with the other signal, and a second fixed contact-piece with which it engages, a lever adapted to be moved forward or rearward by the correspondingly-moving car, and so arranged that when swung in one direction it mechanically forces the armature toward the electromagnet whereupon the latter forces the firstnamed movable piece against its contact, and also forces the second movable contact open, and whereby when swung in the opposite direction it merely forces the second movable contact open; together with conductors for connecting all the signals of both sets, and conductors electrically connecting the said second-named stationary contacts of both sets, as and for the purposes substantially as set forth.

ARTHUR P. SMITH. 

